Warnings: Swearing.

I don't own anything.

Katniss's POV

Later that day Cato briefly wakes me to eat something, but then we both go back to our rooms.

The next morning I rush downstairs for breakfast as soon as I open my eyes. I expect Cato and I to now resume our opening up where we left off. I had said that I'd tell him about my father.

When I get in the kitchen it appears he isn't up yet. I grab myself a bowl of cereal and start eating. After ten minutes or so Cato walks in in just sweatpants, leaving me to stare at his bare chest and abs. It's not quite fair how perfect his body is.

"Like what you see?" Cato smirks cockily.

I blush. "Maybe I do, but please put something on, it's a little distracting," I say.

I tug a loose strand of hair behind my ear, which for some reason causes Cato's mood to crash. He leaves to reappear in a sleeveless shirt that still very much hugs his muscles, but he doesn't attempt to interact with me at all. The rest of the morning he doesn't change. He refuses to make eye contact and only gives halfhearted responses when I try to talk to him.

I get enough of it around midday. I leave for my own house, though promising to return later. The look Cato gives me before I step outside tells me he doesn't want me to go, which confuses me, but I ignore it.

When I arrive home I find Prim in the living room and decide that she's to be the victim of my confusion.

"I don't know what has gotten into Cato. Yesterday we were cool, but this morning he wouldn't talk to me or look at me above shoulder level," I say to her straight out of the blue.

Prim is only happy to help. "Did you say something to him that he didn't like?" she asks.

I shake my head. "No. That's what I don't understand. I didn't do anything. He just came downstairs and I... well, I said him good morning and he suddenly got like that," I tell Prim, tactfully leaving out Cato's half nakedness and me checking him out.

Prim studies me. "You said he wouldn't make eye contact?"

"Yes," I nod.

Prim studies me more intensely. "Katniss?" she asks eventually. "Where did you get that scar?"

Oh.

"From the Games," I lay a fist on my forehead in realisation. "From... Cato."

I give my sister a quick hug. "Thank you, Little Duck, you're incredible. I'll see you later, okay?"

I run back to Cato's house to find him digging at the side of it, a large spade in his hands, sweat glistening on his once again bare back.

Before I alert him of my presence I purposely cover the scar with my hair. "Hi," I say quietly.

Cato doesn't turn around. "Hey."

I'm not sure how to approach this, but I figure since I suck at lying I might as well tell him the truth. "I, uhm... Cato? I want you to know that I am willing to forgive you for what you did to me at the end of the Games."

Cato angrily shakes his head. "I tortured you. I planned on continuing until you screamed my name. Tell me that isn't sick."

I can't tell him it's not. But I am truly willing to forgive him. "Cato, that's in the past. You're different now."

He turns to face me. "Am I really? I've seen the way you look at me, when I beat up that other guy or when I killed those animals in the woods. I hate it. I hate it when you're scared of me. I'm okay with them calling me a monster, but I'm disgusted by the idea of you thinking of me like that."

I'm surprised at how well he can apparently read me. He's right that I'm afraid of brutal, bloody Cato, but I feel bad now that he says this. "I can't help it. It reminds me too much of the you from in the arena," I say. "But you have a good side to you that not many people know of. That's the Cato I like."

Cato's POV

"That's the Cato I like..."

Did she just say what I think she said? Is there hope for me after all?

"...As a friend," she adds, cheeks flushed.

Oh. But she likes me either way. And she seems embarrassed. I have a chance.

"Are you okay with coming to the woods? I was going to tell you about my father," Firegirl offers.

I drop my spade right away and join her side. "Yeah, sure."

She starts heading to the district fence and I walk with her. As I do so I swear she's checking me out. I had honestly given up on her falling for my charms and looks a long time ago, even if it was only to mess with her mind back then, she just wasn't interested. But now I actually want her, and she said she likes me (as a friend), so I flex my thick biceps every now and then just for good measure.

I'm left a bit in the dark as to why we are going back to the woods, though. "Why the woods? Why not the couch?" I ask bluntly.

Firegirl is distant. "I'll tell you when we get there."

I decide to just wait. We cross the fence, but we keep walking for a while until we get to a meadow.

I sense that this place isn't just a meadow to her. She seems to have a connection to it. "We're here, aren't we?" I say.

Firegirl nods. She sits down at a large tree and I settle next to her. As soon as I sit comfortably she leans her head against my shoulder. I hesitantly throw an arm around her, unsure if she's okay with it, but to my pleasant surprise she doesn't push me off.

"This used to be our place," she says, appearing lost in her memories.

"Yours and your father's," I fill in.

Firegirl nods again and closes her eyes for a few seconds. "Yes. He'd take me here every Sunday. The last years it was to teach me how to hunt, but when I was really young we'd come here to play and to sing. I remember how free and fearless I felt back then."

She repositions so that her head is laying on my chest. I'm not complaining.

She begins to cry quietly as she snuggles into me. "He died five years ago in an explosion in the mines."

I sort of expected this was coming. I wrap my arms around her and wait patiently for her to continue.

"My mother went into some sort of depression. She wouldn't talk or take care of us. All she did was staring at the wall," Firegirl says. "I had to raise Prim on my own. I was eleven. I took it upon myself to start hunting and keeping her and my mother fed. Sometimes I wonder if my dad somehow knew he'd die and that I'd be reaped for the games. That that is why he taught me to hunt. But that's why I'm so good with a bow."

I can't believe it. How strong this girl has been-is. How wrong I was about her. Hearing her say what she just did, having her in my arms like this, I feel an urge from deep within me to take care of her. She shouldn't be the one fixing my mess, she's had so much already. It's me who should be helping her.

"Before the Games I used to come back here sometimes. I'd talk to the air and pretend it was him who'd be listening," she tells me, before collapsing. "I miss him so much, Cato."

The way she says my name, the emotion behind it suddenly overwhelms me as well. "I'll be here for you from now on," I tell her. "I promise."

She sobs into my chest for a few more minutes. "I'm sorry," she says, looking up to me when she's almost silent. "Thank you."

I slowly, with utmost cae, wipe her tears away with my thumb. She looks at me wide eyed. "I'll take care of you," I mutter, continuing to stroke her cheek.

Realising what I'm doing I pull back. She looks at me as if I just told her I'm from space.

I smile at her and sit there, perfectly content. "I have heard you sing before, but I can't remember when," I wonder aloud, trying to change the subject.

Firegirl takes my hand, flattens the palm and starts fiddling with my fingers. "When Rue died," she whispers.

Oh... shit... Who the fuck is Rue? Firegirl is gonna kill me. Think, Cato, think!

"The little girl from eleven?" I try to hide my guess.

"Yes."

Phew.

"Now I remember. Something about a meadow and a willow. Can you sing for me?" I ask her, watching her play with my fingers.

"No," she says. "But I promise I will sing for you some other time."

"Okay. That's okay. I'll have something to look forward to then."

"Cato?" she says a lot more serious suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"If-if Snow were to allow you to go back to district two, would you?"

I don't need to think about her question, not even for a second. "I wouldn't dream of it. I just promised I'll be here for you, and I intend to keep that promise. I told you, I don't have anything in two. Here, I have you."

I feel the need to add, "You're my friend." I don't want to be rejected, so I might as well save some face.

"It's weird," Firegirl says. "For once I'm happy with a decision Snow made."

"Me too," I agree. "Me too."

Katniss's POV

After another hour or three we go back home. We didn't really do anything in that time. I just felt so comfortable and safe in Cato's arms-not that I'll ever say that out loud.

Cato is a lot softer and more attentive than before, probably because of how vulnerable I was earlier. It's nice, but I would like it if he had a little trust in me. I can handle myself.

After the fifteenth "Are you okay?" I gently push him off.

"Cato, I'm fine. You don't have to treat me as if I'm going to break down any second."

"I'm sorry. I feel guilty," he admits.

"What for?"

He looks at me warily. "Please don't get angry with me if I tell you."

Now I'm curious. "No promises."

Cato sighs. "Everything that's happened to you, your father that died, getting reaped for the Games and being forced to kill other kids... You didn't deserve any of it." He casts his eyes down. "And yet I'm glad those things happened. I'm indirectly happy your dad died. Because if it hadn't been for that I never would've met you. You wouldn't have saved me."

I wrap my arms around his waist. "You don't have to feel guilty. The things that happened, happened. You know, in a way they made me stronger as well."

I smile up at him. "I'm only happy you're here."

Cato's POV

She doesn't understand. When she was crying about her father in the meadow I should have felt sorry for her. But no, I felt amazing, because she was safely held in my arms. I'm in a way happy she suffered, only because I would've ended up dying lonely and regretfully without her. It frustrates me that she's not upset with me.

"Stop blaming yourself," she says softly.

I throw my arms around her and hug her so tightly that her feet lift of the ground. "You're amazing," I tell her, before releasing her and setting her down again. I chuckle after seeing her bright red face.

"Shut up," she says, punching my arm, but she's smiling.

"Okay, princess," I say, quickly getting out to avoid a second blow.

Katniss's POV

Princess? Is Cato... flirting with me? And why am I blushing? I can't actually be considering a relationship with him. He's changing, I know, but he's still a career from district two.

I'm reacting this way because he's so gorgeous. That's it. Any girl would be flushed if he called them 'princess'.

I guess he did earn himself a proper meal. I suppose I'll get started with that.

Cato's POV

We both went to sleep early tonight, but now I'm up again because of the cries and screams coming from the opposite side of the hall. Knowing exactly what is going on I sigh and stand up. I get to her room and find her in the middle of a nightmare like I expected. I put my hand on her shoulder and squeeze it. "Hey, wake up," I say.

She doesn't react, so I give her shoulder a shake. "Wake up, Katniss, it's not real," I say louder this time.

Her eyes fly open and she grabs and pulls at my hand, catching me by surprise and throwing me of balance, causing me to tumble onto her bed on top of her. I hastily roll off of her, but before I can get out of her bed she throws her arms around my neck and buries her face in my chest, still sobbing uncontrollably. I uneasily drape an arm around her waist and wait for her to run out of tears. "It was just a nightmare," I try my best to calm her down. If she stops crying she'll release me. It's not that I don't like holding her, quite the contrary, but right now it feels like I'm taking advantage. Still I soothe her and rock her slightly until she's almost silent.

"Wanna talk about your dream?" I ask carefully.

She shakes her head into my chest.

"Okay, you should go back to sleep," I say. I slowly pry away her hands from my neck and pull away. She isn't fully awake, she doesn't want me in her bed. She can't want me.

She whimpers. "Cato, stay, please."

What? Well, I can't say no to her when she's like this, so I get back in bed with her. She turns on her side and I lie behind her, taking her in my arms and pressing her against my body to reassure her.

As we lie there in silence all I can think of is how perfectly her small body fits into mine, as if they were made for each other.

My thoughts are interrupted by her quiet voice. "You said my name," she states.

"I did?" I don't see what's up with it.

"Yes. It was always Firegirl or Twelve, I've never heard you say it before," she says.

I never realised I did that. But now that I think of it she's right, this is the first time. "Should I go back to Firegirl then?" I tease.

"No," she responds quickly. "I mean I like hearing you say my name," she mumbles shyly.

I smile into her hair. "Okay, Katniss," I say.

Katniss-yes, that's her name-playfully jabs her elbow backwards.

"Why?" she says after another while of silence. "Why did you keep calling me Firegirl?"

I think of her question for a bit. "I don't know. I think it's because after the tribute parade I got to know you as Firegirl, and then it stuck. If I asked you to call me Otac from now on it'd be weird, right? After that, when I first arrived in twelve, your sister, mother and that asshole all used your name, so it felt too personal to use it myself. They all know you, you know? It was like I didn't deserve to say your name. But now I-I care about you. It feels more natural to call you by your actual name."

Katniss doesn't say anything in response. I almost think she's asleep when she speaks up. "Okay. I care about you too."

I feel a painful tug in my chest. This is probably the closest I'm gonna get to a confession from her.

Her breathing slows and it's clear that she's fallen asleep.

This girl. She's everything to me. The storm of feelings that rages in me because of her.

I want to hold her until the end of time. I want to kiss every inch of her body. I want to be inside her, to make her mine in the most intimate way.

These things I understand. But when it gets to emotions I can't express myself as easily.

I want her to be safe. I want to protect her from anything and anyone that would harm her. I want to hurt those who hurt her.

I want her to be okay. I want to help her with her nightmares. I want her to live her life not needing to worry about Snow or the Capitol.

I want her to be happy. I want her to be appreciated. I want to show her how incredible she is, and how much fortune she deserves.

I've never felt this way before. It's amazing and terrifying at the same time. And even though I met her less than two weeks ago... I dare call this love.

AN: That rounds things out for chapter Ten.

I forgot to say this in the last chapter, but the story will from now on be 99% fluff. Until the quell in the sequel.

So, yeah. They'll get together in the chapter after the next. And they'll kiss then. Yay.

I hope you liked this and to see you in the next one!